A firefighter was injured Thursday morning while battling flames at a home belonging to a hoarder.Firefighters were called to the house on Curtin Avenue in Beltzhoover around 9 a.m.The homeowner's son told Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo his 84-year-old mother doesn't live there anymore, but stops by every day."She's, like I said, a hoarder. She's been doing this for 27 years," Samuel Wright told Mayo.Wright said his mother, who is a heart patient, recently had an operation at the hospital and was visiting his daughter when the fire sparked."It's kind of hard. This is her little getaway. She does this every day," he said.Mayo was not allowed inside the home, but debris could be seen scattered outside.Battalion Chief Terry Cerchiaro said it was one of the worst cases of hoarding he's ever seen."Absolutely the worst I've ever seen, yes. I've never seen a house this full of it," said Cerchiaro.He said the debris posed a threat to firefighters, who received initial reports that someone may have been inside.Cerchiaro likened the experience to going into a maze with your eyes closed and trying to get through it."They had to crawl over piles that were only 2 feet or 3 feet from the ceiling to get to windows and such to ventilate," said Cerchiaro.The injured firefighter was treated at UPMC Mercy hospital for a broken hand and cuts.

Pittsburgh —

A firefighter was injured Thursday morning while battling flames at a home belonging to a hoarder.

Firefighters were called to the house on Curtin Avenue in Beltzhoover around 9 a.m.

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The homeowner's son told Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo his 84-year-old mother doesn't live there anymore, but stops by every day.

"She's, like I said, a hoarder. She's been doing this for 27 years," Samuel Wright told Mayo.

Wright said his mother, who is a heart patient, recently had an operation at the hospital and was visiting his daughter when the fire sparked.

"It's kind of hard. This is her little getaway. She does this every day," he said.

Mayo was not allowed inside the home, but debris could be seen scattered outside.

Battalion Chief Terry Cerchiaro said it was one of the worst cases of hoarding he's ever seen.

"Absolutely the worst I've ever seen, yes. I've never seen a house this full of it," said Cerchiaro.

He said the debris posed a threat to firefighters, who received initial reports that someone may have been inside.

Cerchiaro likened the experience to going into a maze with your eyes closed and trying to get through it.

"They had to crawl over piles that were only 2 feet or 3 feet from the ceiling to get to windows and such to ventilate," said Cerchiaro.

The injured firefighter was treated at UPMC Mercy hospital for a broken hand and cuts.